Phenomenal Woman

Credit:  picassoswoman

Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.
I’m not cute or built to suit a fashion model’s size
But when I start to tell them,
They think I’m telling lies.
I say,
It’s in the reach of my arms
The span of my hips,
The stride of my step,
The curl of my lips.
I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.

I walk into a room
Just as cool as you please,
And to a man,
The fellows stand or
Fall down on their knees.
Then they swarm around me,
A hive of honey bees.
I say,
It’s the fire in my eyes,
And the flash of my teeth,
The swing in my waist,
And the joy in my feet.
I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.

Men themselves have wondered
What they see in me.
They try so much
But they can’t touch
My inner mystery.
When I try to show them
They say they still can’t see.
I say,
It’s in the arch of my back,
The sun of my smile,
The ride of my breasts,
The grace of my style.
I’m a woman

Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.

Now you understand
Just why my head’s not bowed.
I don’t shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud.
When you see me passing
It ought to make you proud.
I say,
It’s in the click of my heels,
The bend of my hair,
the palm of my hand,
The need of my care,
‘Cause I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.

Phenomenal Woman – Maya Angelou

5 Good Reasons

Photo by JenniPenni

As intelligent, capable beings, we humans are responsible for taking care of this world. After reading a couple of books by ethicist Peter Singer, I am even more convinced that those who have are obligated to help those who have not.

“In the world as it is now, I can see no escape from the conclusion that each one of us with wealth surplus to his or her essential needs should be giving most of it to help people suffering from poverty so dire as to be life-threatening. That’s right: I’m saying that you shouldn’t buy that new car, take that cruise, redecorate the house or get that pricey new suit. After all, a $1,000 suit could save five children’s lives.”
- Peter Singer

Whoah, heavy stuff!  Sometimes it’s all too easy to think “What’s the point?”   The problems in this world seem insurmountable.  But that’s no reason not to do something about it!

Think about it like turning on a light in darkness.  Just one light in the dark still shines so brightly.  Your turning on the light can encourage another person to switch on a light when they see what a difference it makes.  The lights will shine far in the dark, so you may never know when someone far away is motivated by your light to switch on theirs.

Just think, if every single person in the world did even just ONE thing to help improve it, what a change we’d see!

Here are five good reasons to make the world a better place:

• Women deserve equal pay to men.
• Orangutans are adorable and it would be tragic if they became extinct
• Trees combat global warming by converting the carbon dioxide in the air to oxygen.
• Many species of fish are becoming endangered through over-fishing.
• Millions and millions of children live in poverty, without basic needs being met – like clean water, enough food to eat and medical care for easily treatable illnesses.

So here are five things you can do about it:

1. Equal Pay Day – “Women are two and half times more likely to live in poverty in their old age than men – by 2019, on average, women will have half the amount of superannuation that men have.”  - Queensland Gov’t. If you’re an employer, take time this week to ensure your female employees are being paid fairly and equally.

2.Help a ‘ranga - That is, help an orangutan or two.  Their future is in jeopardy.   Treat yourself and donate at the same time by buying a bottle of Trilogy Rose Hip Oil in September (look out for the specially marked boxes).  For every bottle sold in Australia, New Zealand and the UK, Trilogy will donate $1 to the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation.

A couple more terrific reasons to purchase Trilogy products include their carbon neutral commitment, the 100% natural ingredients, the recycled packaging made from sugar cane waste and the biodegradable packaging and products. Nice one, Trilogy!

3. Plant a Tree - There are organisations all over the place to donate to and which hold tree planting days.  Look up an organisation near you and get planting!   Today I’m planting a lemon tree!

4. Buy only sustainbly caught fish - Fish is so good for you. I LOVE seafood and  I’m trying to eat fish at least two or three times a week, but it alarms me that fish are becoming increasingly threatened. The good news is that things can be turned around for endangered species, but its up to us to make the choice not to buy those fish. Encourage your local fishmonger and supermarket to sell only sustainably caught fish.  

Make sure you’re eating fish that aren’t endangered by following this list from Choice. And if you love the ocean, take action with Save Our Marine Life.

5. Sponsor a child – Having grown up in a third world country, I’ve seen poverty first hand and know how awful it is.  I always knew I could not live with myself if I didn’t do something about it, so as soon as I started my first job, I started sponsoring children. About seven years ago I made a promise to sponsor another child each time I received a pay rise, as my way of giving back and showing thanks.

Plan is the agency I use but there are many other aid agencies to choose from.  When choosing who to sponsor, I prefer to help girls from the poorest countries, because life is so much tougher for women in the third world.  At the moment I sponsor five girls from Sierra Leone, Guinea and Burkina Faso and I absolutely love it.

Here are a few facts about these countries:

• Guinea – 1 in 5 children die before their fifth birthday, 1 in 20 women die from causes related to pregnancy and childbirth, only 38% of women give birth with a skilled health worker present, only half the population has clean drinking water and abuses such as female genital mutilation, child trafficking and child labour are widespread.
• Sierra Leone - 27% of children die before they reach five years of age, the people have suffered terribly from a long  civil war, there is huge inflation making it very difficult for poorer people to take care of their family’s basic needs (imagine if you couldn’t afford to buy food – it’s hard to comprehend) and 40% of young men are illiterate.
• Burkina Faso – 2nd poorest country in the world, less than 50% of children under the age of 11 go to school, only 13% of the population has adequate sanitation and only 61% have clean drinking water (imagine if you couldn’t drink the water from your tap!).

You can learn more about helping others in need at The Life You Can Save.  I also found this interview with Peter Singer really thought provoking.

Don’t hold back from giving good things to those who deserve it, when it’s in your power to act. Don’t say to your neighbor, “Come back later; I’ll give it tomorrow” when you have it with you now.

- Proverbs 3:27-28

Orbit

Photo by nikilynn

• Don’t  miss seeing the documentary, ‘Pray the Back to Devil to Hell.’ Women like these inspire and humble me. I often wonder if I would have the courage that so many women around the world, from Liberia to Burma to Iran to Afghanistan, have shown.

• Like fine wine, women simply grow more fabulous as we age.  This stylish lady, captured brilliantly by Garance Dore, shows us how it’s done!  Screw Botox, facial peels and surgery.  Bring on the wrinkles and white hair.  They’re a sign of a life lived long and well, thus deserving of respect and admiration!

• While I’m loving this warm, sunshiny weather, it really shouldn’t be this warm until spring. What kind of summer heat waves are we going to live through in 10, 15, 30 years from now?  Make climate change your priority. Sign your name to a petition that Avaaz is taking to Copenhagen to deliver to UN leaders in September. It’s not too late to turn things around and make the world a better place to live in when we’re older!

• Scrabble has to be one of the best board games in the universe. These Scrabble ads have to be some of the most original, clever ads in the universe.

• Talent comes in many shapes and sizes.  On a Ukranian talent show, performance artist Kseniya Simonova tells a story wordlessly, using only sand. Judges and audience were brought to tears. Whoever thought sand animation would be so compelling!

• What a positively genius idea: a roll-out vegie patch! If you’ve had Gardening Fail before, this is the answer for you!    All you need to do is roll it out and remember to water it! The cardboard is biodegradable and you can get new versions every season.

• Grab yourself a copy of “Handmade in Melbourne.” Reject soulless, mass-produced, cheaply made goods and support your talented local artisans!

• It seems that everyone in town must know about Keep Cups by now, but just in case you haven’t or don’t live in Melbourne, check out these good looking re-usable coffee cups.  Two takeaway coffees a day works out to 730 disposable coffee cups a year. That’s a lot of garbage and a lot of tree killing!

• Greg Hatton makes beautiful furniture and decorations out of salvaged odds and ends, as well as willow and poplar trees, both of which are “pests” in the Aussie bush.  See more of his work on Flickr.

Warning, When I Am An Old Woman, I Shall Wear Purple

Photo by Kate O’Brien Creative

Warning, When I Am An Old Woman, I Shall Wear Purple

When I am an old woman I shall wear purple
With a red hat which doesn’t go and doesn’t suit me.
And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves
And satin sandals, and say we’ve no money for butter.
I shall sit down on the pavement when I’m tired
And gobble up samples in shops and press alarm bells
And run my stick along the public railings
And make up for the sobriety of my youth.
I shall go out in my slippers in the rain
And pick the flowers in other people’s gardens . . .
But maybe I ought to practice a little now?
So people who know me are not too shocked and surprised
When suddenly I am old, and start to wear purple.

- Jenny Joseph

Asphalt Avenging

Photo by mefisto

Things are not quite right on the roads these days.  It’s time to put things straight and here’s a few suggestions.

Say thanks

Nothing wrong with a bit of a hand wave over the steering wheel or in the rear view mirror! If that’s a bit much, even a little thankful lift of the fingers will do.  Friendliness and niceness spreads but it has to start somewhere, so why don’t you make the first move? It can’t hurt you or anyone else.

So make an effort to say thanks when someone lets you move in front of them, pulls to the side to let you pass in a narrow street, gives you space in the road to pull out from the side street into the lane or anything else that’s deserving of thanks.

Make some space

When you’re pulling up behind a long row of cars, all neatly backed up one behind the other waiting at the lights, before you stop, look to your left and right. Is there a side street? Then leave some space for anyone who might need to get into your lane.

Or is there a parked car at the side of the road, indicating to pull out into traffic? Give them some space and let them pull out in front of you!  One extra car in front of you ain’t gonna make you arrive any later.  Just do it! It’s considerate and kind, and lord knows we need more of that in the world today.

Let reverse parkers park

I don’t know about the rest of the world, but the laws in Melbourne say you need to give way to any vehicle that’s blocking traffic. This includes cars that are reverse parking. So, if someone in front of you stops to reverse park – for the love of all that is good in the world, let them! Wait behind them, giving them enough space to reverse in.

So many people just keep driving on, pulling out wide around the car and usually into the opposite lane.  Firstly – hello, that’s stupid and dangerous! Secondly – waiting for the car to park will take only about 2 to 3 minutes of your ENTIRE day of 1440 minutes. You do the maths.  Drive safely, drive legally and drive helpfully.

Indicate, indicate, indicate

Give advanced warning that you intend to turn, pull over or pull into a park or driveway by using your car’s indicator.  Most importantly, start indicating before you start braking.  It’s the right thing to do.  It’s so dangerous, not to mention thoughtless, to suddenly indicate at the last minute. Be respectful to other drivers!

Drive with purpose

Cars that meander along the road drive everyone crazy! While it’s dangerous to drive over the speed limit, it can be just as stupid to drive far under the speed limit. If you’re driving along looking for a street or address and aren’t sure where you are, then rather than annoy everyone driving behind you, pull over. Check a map, work out where you are and then get back on the road. If you don’t have some kind of GPS telling you how to get there, then memorise where you have to go so that you can drive at a sensible speed on the road.

Respect the lorry

Respect must be shown to any large vehicle – trucks, lorries, semi-trailers, eighteen-wheelers – on the road.  These monsters need plenty of room to brake so whatever you do, DO NOT pull in front of them when pulling up at the traffic lights.  Just stay in your lane.  When driving, indicate for enough time before you pull into their lane and make sure you’re far ahead of them. Leave plenty of space if you’re driving behind them, too.

Respect the ambulance

When there’s an ambulance tearing down the road, sirens at full blast, other cars are meant to get the hell out of the way.  In Australia, ambulances – when their sirens and lights are activated – have right of way.  That ambulance is helping to save someone’s life or someone in serious need of medical help.

So when you hear the siren, work out whether it’s safer to pull over to the side and stop entirely (say, on a narrow street) or pull to the side and drastically slow down. At traffic lights, stay where you are until the ambulance has gone through the intersection.  This pertains to drivers on both sides of the road, not just the side the ambulance is driving on.  This will make it easy for the ambulance to race down the middle of the road.

Sometimes I wonder if some people just don’t hear the siren. So when you’re driving, be alert. Be aware.  Check your rear view and window mirrors regularly. Don’t have your music up so loud you can’t hear what’s happening outside of your car. Look out and listen up!

Here’s some more information from Ambulance Victoria.

Decide before you reach the lights

When you’re pulling up to traffic lights, make sure you know in advance whether you’re going to turn or go straight ahead. It’s unbelievably frustrating to pull up behind someone who later puts on their indicator, thus leaving you stuck behind them when you could have pulled into the other lane!! Wow. This one really gives me road rage.  Grrr…. (angry grr, not sexy grrr).

Keep your car regularly serviced

It’s a bummer when you’re driving behind a car spewing hideous gasses.  No one wants to breathe in those poisons.  So ensure your car is regularly serviced and the exhaust is clean (well, as clean as exhaust can be).

Walk, cycle or catch public transport

You know what’s better than driving a car? Not driving one at all. The roads are crazy busy anyway, and you’ll be doing the environment a favour by keeping your car off the road. So if you can walk or cycle, do that instead. An added bonus is that it’ll be good for you!  Or catch the tram, bus or train.